


Forty Two days.

by CrookshankKitty



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-20
Updated: 2019-05-08
Packaged: 2020-01-23 00:22:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18538486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrookshankKitty/pseuds/CrookshankKitty
Summary: They had always liked each other, one night they gave in to their feelings, with dire consequences for one Witch.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> My Pairing for the rare pair fest was Hermione Granger & Cedric Diggory.  
> In my fic Cedric never died (Obviously!)

The Weasley twins were great hosts, their parties were fun in general, good music, plenty of drink of the alcoholic and non alcoholic variety and served with various snacks, Fred and George always assured their guests that none of the party sundries had been tampered with by themselves or anyone else.  

They were more than happy to perform any spells to show that they were good as their word.

That was until some bright spark had decided to put a fertility potion into the punch, it was a particularly strong concoction, it had been taken from the apothecary at St Mungo's Hospital for Magical maladies and Injuries.

That evening three witches had fallen pregnant, two would have happy outcomes and one would not.

                                                                                                       ~~~~~~~~~~000000~~~~~~~~~

Hermione Granger sat in the corner of room nursing a large glass of red wine, she hadn't really wanted to go along to the twins Samhain party, she had been dragged along by her best female friend Ginny Potter, who was now sat on her fiances lap and having a passionate snogging session, Harry Potters glasses were askew when he and Ginny came up for air.

Ronald Weasley was sitting next to Hermione on the floor, they were both leaning against the wall.

" How long before we can politely leave? I'm tired and really want to go home." asked Hermione.

" I'm giving it another ten minutes, Me and Lavender have got work tomorrow...alright for Harry to be off from auror duty, he and Ginny can have a lie in!" Said Ron.

"I'm off as well...but I won't be lying in, got to that report to go over for Malfoy, I can't believe that I work with him! at least he is civil to me now!" Laughed Hermione.

"He will always be the  bouncing ferret to me! at least he is good with money and figures...really improved the way the Ministry runs its finances, you both have done wonders for that department, thanks to you everyone gets paid on time!" Ron smiled at her.

Just then Lavender Weasley walked over to them, she had two glasses in her hand, she passed one to Hermione.

" Hello, I hope my husband hasn't been boring you with Quidditch talk! I've got you a glass of punch...it's very nice, this is my second one!" she giggled.

Lavender Weasley nee Brown had been married to Ron Weasley for three years, they married six months after the battle of Hogwarts.

Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley were engaged to be married, but were saving up to buy a house first.

Hermione had been secretly seeing a wizard for the last two years, she told people that she was concentrating on her career for the time being, and that dating was something to consider in the future.

The Wizard she was seeing was Cedric Diggory, former Triwizard champion and Keeper of the Wimbourne wasps Quidditch team, She wanted to leave the party as soon as possible to meet up with him.

Hermione put down her glass of red wine, taking the glass from Lavender, she took a sip of the dark liquid, it was really sweet, so she downed it in one go.

"Blimey Hermione! go careful that stuff is usually pretty strong!" admonished Ron.

" I've got somewhere to be...namely my bed! and I want to be my best for tomorrows meeting with Malfoy junior!" she replied.

Hermione said her goodbyes to her friends and left the flat above Weasleys wizard wheezes, when she reached the apparation point in Diagon alley, she diapparated with a small pop, landing outside her boyfriends house.

Cedric's small house was situated in the small Sussex town of Lewes, it was a tiny cottage in the shadow of Lewes Castle, very close to the barbican museum which was opposite the enterance to the medieval castle.

Hermione knocked on the door, it was wrenched open and she was pulled inside and into the arms of Cedric Diggory, he pushed the door shut with his foot.

"I'm glad you are here, I have got something to tell you, but First let me kiss you my love!"

Cedric proceeded to kiss Hermione with great urgency, she wrapped her arms around his neck and was kissing him back, echoing his passion, she loved this wizard with all her heart, his arms had tightened around her.

When they came up for air, Cedric pressed his forehead against Hermione, closing his eyes and sighing.

"Come, lets sit down...I need to tell you something..."

Hermione was guided to the sofa, still with arms around each other, they both sat down.

"Ced...what is it? have you been dropped from the team?" she asked in a concerned voice.

"If only...I was going to propose to you tonight...ask you to be my wife as I love you so much..." replied Cedric.

" I love you too...but what do you mean was going to propose?"

" I wanted you to be my wife and for us to have a family together...my parents have arranged a marriage contract for me! I told them I wouldn't do it, but it was too late...I said I was with you and they were furious!"

"Why! why would they do that to you?" Hermione cried.

" They arranged it because they were offered a small fortune in exchange for my hand in marriage...they are in debt...the galleons will pay it off...I have read through the contract and there is no get out clauses...they have all be most meticulous with it!" he replied with a bitter note in his voice.

"Oh Cedric! I'm so sorry...when...when will it happen? will I still be able to see you...people don't know we are seeing each other, so could we carry on as we are?" Hermione said desperately.

Cedric slowly shook his head, his eyes were full of sadness.

"Its forbidden for us to see it each other again after tomorrow...the contract stipulates that any current relationships are to be ended immediately...it's magically binding, so my parents and my future wife's parents would know if I were to see you again...and then only in a public capacity and never alone."

Hermione then burst into tears, her heart felt like it had been wrenched from her body, Cedric tightened his arms around her, pulling her against him, he whispered words of endearment while his witch sobbed her heart out.

"Hermione...you are my love, my one and only...I Will fight this with all my being! We will find a way to be together, always remember I love only you!"

" I love You! let me stay with you for one last night...they can't take this from us...WE will find a way to be together forever!"

"Miss Granger, will you do me the honour of gracing me with your glorious body and your love?" Cedric asked.

" Mr Diggory, I would be delighted to take up your offer...shall we?"

Cedric rose from the sofa, offering Hermione a hand to help her up, she reached up and took his hand, they both embraced and then disapparated to his bedroom for their last night together.

 In the morning Cedric made Hermione breakfast for the last time, he promised he would fight to be with her, he also presented her with the engagement ring he had bought for her, it was a simple Sapphire set in a platinum band, he had placed it on her left hand and then had kissed the ring.

"Remember I will always be here for you, If you ever need help, leave a note in our special place...I will go there once a week to check."

"Thank you for my beautiful ring...I wish we could stay like this forever...and forget about the world!" Hermione whispered against Cedric's shoulder.

"I know my love! I want nothing more than to be with you for the rest of our lives...but its not possible...let us enjoy now!" 

He then pulled Hermione to him, kissing her urgently, she responded by putting her arms around his neck pulling him closer, they then lost themselves in each other.

An hour later Hermione and Cedric kissed each other for the last time, tearfully whispering I love you's and their goodbyes.

They hugged each other fiercely, Hermione then left Cedric's arms, turned away so he couldn't see her tears and Disapparated with a loud crack.

The devastated witch landed back at her small flat in Diagon alley, all she wanted to do was crawl into her bed, pull the duvet over her head and stay there forever, she decided she would floo call the ministry and say she was feeling unwell and go in the next day, she spoke to Draco Malfoy, he said he didn't want whatever germs she had picked up and she could stay away for a few days just to be on the safe side and get rid of whatever it was that ailed her, Hermione had agreed with him, so she stayed in her flat and had a pity party and ate junk food for three days, then she dusted herself off and decided to do some research into her and Cedric's situation.

Hermione wore her ring on a gold chain around her neck, she felt close to Cedric with it worn against her heart.

A few days later an large Vellum envelope lay upon her desk in the Ministry of Magic finance department, it was an invitation to attend the evening reception of Cedric Diggory's wedding to one Aspasia Fetlock-Jones, Hermione felt the world shift around her, she had felt heart sick reading the words on the expensive looking parchment, they had been blurred by her tears, she grabbed a tissue and wiped her eyes, she had to pull herself together, no one must know about her and Cedric, she must stay strong for him.

A lot of Hermione's friends had been invited to the wedding which was going to be taking place in six weeks or forty two days as she called it, she had marked the date on her calender and had crossed each day off, it would be just before the Winter Solstice.

The day Cedric Diggory had married a witch not of his choice, was the day that Hermione Granger had found out she was pregnant, she was Six weeks or Forty two days along. it was also the day that Lavender Weasley and Ginny Weasley found they were in the family way too.

 

 To be continued.

 

 


	2. Forty Two days~ What is a Witch to do?

Hermione Granger had often been called the brightest witch of her age, but she didn't feel very bright at this moment.

She couldn't understand how this has happened, she had been on the muggle pill, her and Cedric both used to cast a contraceptive charm every time they were intimate.

Hermione had been feeling unwell for a week or so and she had missed a period, so being the practical person she was, she decided to do a pregnancy test and it was positive.

She needed to contact Cedric, even if she wasn't able to see him in person, she would leave him a note at their special place, it was where they used to meet up to be alone, it was The Mill post above Glynebourne Opera house, it was the site of a former windmill and had a wooden seat that overlooked the village of Ringmer a few miles north of Cedrics home in Lewes.

She would leave a note for him there, hopefully he could advise her on what to do. 

Hermione knew that Cedric wouldn't be able to read her note straight away, or go to their place on the day he was getting married to a witch not of his choosing, she decided then that she couldn't possibly attend the evening reception and risk breaking down in front of all the guests and telling Cedric of her condition.

She wrote her note and sealed it carefully, charming it so only Cedric could open it, it was an idea they had come up with so no one could read their letters, putting on her warmest cloak and placing her note and wand into her beaded bag, the witch disapparated away, landing on the top of the hill, a cold wind blew across the downs, Hermione shivered and quickly walked over to an old wooden bench, she placed the note carefully on the underside of the seat, using a sticking charm to hold it in place.

Once the task was done, Hermione apparated away back to her flat and did more research into magical marriage contracts.

 

                                                                                                 ~~~0O0~~~

 

Cedric Diggory looked at his new wife, she was an unprepossessing looking witch, with mousy brown hair and a sallow complexion, her dull blue eyes had a hard look about them, she greatly resembled her mother, by whom she was sitting. He inwardly sighed, his mother in law was of a sour disposition, she had moaned and criticised about everything to do with the wedding arrangements, she had browbeaten his mother on many things, so in the end they had left all the preparations to Mrs Fetlock-Jones.

Cedric told his future in laws and his parents that he would leave it all to them and would just turn up to the ceremony, he had little to do with his fiancee, for she was every bit her mothers daughter, surly, uncooperative and with no sense of humour and little warmth, for her face seemed to be set permanently in a frown.

He would need a strong lust potion to consummate this marriage, he shivered inwardly.

"Cedric! you and Aspasia must leave soon, you are spending your wedding night at our house, which will be your martial home, we will join you as soon as the guests have left!" called his mother in law in her shrill voice.

Aspasia and mother rose from the chairs they were sitting on and walked towards the doorway, the wedding reception had been held in the Ministry of Magics main function room, it was where the annual Victory ball was held celebrating the demise of Voldemort after the battle of Hogwarts.

Hermione hadn't attended the wedding, Cedric knew she had been invited, it had been for the best he supposed, he would have wanted to declare his love for her and to hell with the marriage contract.

Mrs fetlock-Jones stood by the fireplace.

"Aspasia has flooed ahead, the house elves have made your quarters ready for you, please wait for myself and Mr Fetlock-Jones in the drawing room, we require a word with you." she said.

" Certainly." Cedric answered inclining his head.

He picked up a handful of the glittering Floo powder, throwing it into the fire, disappearing in a swirl of green flames.

When he emerged from the fireplace, a house elf was waiting to escort him to the drawing room, where his wife was sitting on an ornate sofa, the room was decorated with very flowery wall paper and heavy curtains in a bright pink colour, with lots of lacey doilies and flouncy cushions scattered on the various chairs and sofas.

"Why don't you sit down Cedric, Mother and Father will be here soon." invited Aspasia. Cedric hadn't really taken much notice of his wife's voice before, as she hadn't spoken to him that much, what with her mother doing most of the talking, her voice had an slight lisp to it.

"Thank you...do you know what they want to tell me?"

Aspasia blushed slightly and shook her head.

Just then his in laws entered the room, Mr Fetlock-Jones was a short wizard with a paunch that would give Horace Slughorn competition, he had thinning grey hair, small blue eyes and was completely dominated by his forceful wife.

Mrs fetlock-Jones sat down in one of the armchairs by the fireplace, her husband sitting on the one opposite her.

"Mr Diggory, I will not beat about the bush, the reason your parents and ourselves arranged this marriage, is because Aspasia is with child, we paid your parents generously for your hand in marriage, they were in debt and needed galleons to pay it off, the child's father is in no position to support our daughter, so this marriage means that the child does not suffer the stigma of being born illegitimate!" Said his mother in law.

Cedric was incredulous, he had been used by all of them to prevent a scandal, he was angry at his parents for doing this to him, stopping him from being with Hermione.

" You will stay married to Aspasia for at least the next two years, then you can quietly separate, we will say the child is premature when it is born, Aspasia is two months along...you will be living here for appearance sake, you are not required to consummate the marriage or share a bedroom, you will not be allowed to see the witch with whom you were previously involved with...You will both go abroad for the next three months and when you return, we will announce the pregnancy. You will be generously compensated Mr Diggory for your trouble." Mrs fetlock-Jones when she had finished her monologue.

She then dismissed Cedric, who went up to his rooms, reeling with these revelations, he penned a note for Hermione, explaining all that had passed, he sealed it and worked out when he could deliver it to their meeting place, it was early the next morning, he left before breakfast, he had spent his wedding night alone, for which he was grateful.

He found Hermione's note under the bench, he left his in the same way.

Cedric sat on the bench and charmed opened the parchment, reading the contents he gasped in shock, She was pregnant, he was shocked at this, but over joyed all at once. he knew he had to try and see her if he could, before he went abroad with his wife.

                                                          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~OOOO~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hermione had found a get out clause in the contract, she had gone over it meticulously, it stated that if either party had an undisclosed child or children, then the marriage could be annulled as it compromised several inheritance laws.

Hermione knew it was a small glimmer of hope, for a future with Cedric and their child, all she needed was him to contact her as soon as possible, so they could consult a magical solicitor and see what could be done. 

Later that day, when she had finished work, the curly haired witch apparated to their place, to see if Cedric had answered her letter, she felt under the bench for the familiar feel of parchment and was overjoyed to find it there.

She opened the note with trembling fingers, reading the contents carefully, she was shocked by Cedric's revelations and was also glad that they had evidence that would be beneficial for their case, she was sure once it was put before the Wizamgamot by a magical solicitor the marriage would be dissolved with immediate effect.  Hermione then disapparated back to her flat, she prepared another note for Cedric, and also got all her research together to see a Solicitor first thing the next day, she would go to Cedric's home and leave her letter there, he had told her in his note that he had instructed his Lawyer to sign over his cottage in Lewes to her, he had done it the day after their last night together, at least her and the baby would have somewhere to live and some sort of financial security should they need it.

 

                      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~oooooo~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

When cedric arrived back from leaving his letter for Hermione, he walked into his Mother-in-laws sitting room without knocking.

"Where have you been? Aspasia has been waiting to leave for the last hour or so, I suggest you have some breakfast and gather your luggage, then depart!" 

"That is none of your business! I will not be going anywhere with your daughter, I'm going to leave right now and will be consulting my Solicitor and getting the marriage anulled as you lied to me about her condition, it violates several inheritence laws, also as our marriage hasn't been consumated-she is not my wife!" Cedric retorted.

"You will do as you are told! We paid your parents a considerable amount of money...if you do this...we will demand it back!" said Mrs Fetlock-Jones.

" I will pay off my parents debt to you, I have enough to cover it, I'am now leaving and going to be with the witch that I love!" 

With that cedric apparated out of the Fetlock-Jones residence, he landed back at his house in Lewes, he floo called his lawyer and made an appointment to see him as soon as possible, later that day when Hermione apparated to his cottage with her latest letter, Cedric was there, he opened the door to her on hearing the crack of apparition, they flew into each others arms, kissing over and over again.

They both talked about what was the best course of action, Cedric told Hermione that he was seeing his Solicitor, and as soon as it was all sorted legally and he had paid off his parents debt to the Fetlock-Jones, they could get married-that was if Hermione wanted to, they could go away until all the scandal had died down, because the story would most likely hit the various wizarding publications.

The next day they visited with Cedric's solicitor and he looked over the marriage contract and indeed it could be dissolved because of the issue of his and Hermione's baby and also of the Fetlock-Jones trying to foist Aspasia's illegimate child on him, added to the fact that the marriage wasn't consummated, it was put before the Wizemgamot and duly disolved, Cedric paid the Fetlock-Jones back all the money they had paid his parents, which took all his savings from his Quidditch earnings.

Hermione and Cedric quietly married several weeks later, then announcing they were expecting their first child.

Ginny Weasley was married to Harry Potter very quickly after announcing she was in the family way, Ron and Lavender also surprised everyone by saying they were going to be parents as well.

No one ever found out about the fertility potion that was put into the punch, the culprit got away with it, but the Apothecary at St Mungo's now had better security spells when it discovered one of the vials missing.

Fin~  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  


End file.
